Zutara Drabbles
by Suyami
Summary: [Zuko x Katara] Just a collection of some drabbles. It might have Painted Lady x Blue Spirit later on. Rated T just for safety reasons.
1. Chapter 1

_Zutara Drabble #1_

_All standard disclaimers apply._

* * *

_Does it hurt?_

Does it hurt to know that you'll never see her face again? Never look into her warm blue eyes? Never sup upon the lovely fragrance that she exudes?

_Does it hurt?_

When you think about him, can you feel the aching pain in your chest, the want, the _need_? Can you feel it?

_Can you remember?_

Remember when she was innocent, all smiles except when she saw your face? Can you picture the look of hatred (and pity, yes, pity) on her face when she looked at you? And later on, after she knew you, the look of soft love and warmth?

_Can you remember?_

Think about how he used to be, strange, distant, cold… When did he stop being your enemy, _and start being your friend?_ When did you start to trust him, to smile when he was there, smile _only_ when he was there?

_Why did she do it?_

Why _did _she do it? Why did she leave you here, alone, thinking about the _ifs_ and the_ could haves_? Did she know it would hurt? Did she know that it would rip out your soul, tear out your heart and never give it back?

_Why did you do it?_

You don't remember. It seemed like a good idea, to get away from his burning eyes and his warm mouth. _It seemed like a good idea… _but it wasn't. Why? Why did you leave him, stranded in the dark? You still remember his love, the pain in his amber eyes when you left him, alone in the rain.

_Do you regret it?_

Regret what? Do you regret having Katara in your life? Loving her, kissing her, baring your soul to her? Well? _Do you?_

_Do you regret it?_

Do you regret the rush of joy, that simple and unadulterated _freedom _you felt around him? Do you regret the happiness, the joy, the good times and the bad? Do you regret _any _of it?

_No. The thing is, you don't regret any of it. No matter what you went through, no matter the fights you had, you don't regret it. Not one second of fighting, not even the fact that _she left you_. You don't regret it at all._

_And if you could, you would do it all again. (if only to see her face, kiss her, just one more time) To tell her those three words, those three simple words._

_How could you regret Zuko? How could you regret any second, any moment that you spent with the firebender, no matter how tiring, no matter how sad? Every smile, every laugh meant even more to you than the last (mostly because it only happened a few times)._

_No, you wouldn't have traded that time for anything. And if you could, you would go back and re-do it all. Simply erase the part where you left him, take away the parts where you said those hateful word. But then, you think it over once more. The leaving him, the hateful words, they brought your relationship with Zuko to where it was today. You definitely would not have it any other way._

_What will you do now?_

Will you run to her? Come after her, tell her you _love her_ one last time? _Will you?_

_What will you do now?_

Will you find him? Apologize, and start over again? Will you confess your undying _love _to him, no matter how cliché it sounds? _Will you?_

_Yes. Because no matter what happens, you know that Katara is what made you the person you are today. Without her by your side, you would be nothing._

_Yes. Zuko is your rock, your friend, your _love, _and no matter what happens, you know that you love him, for better or for worse. You complete him._

* * *

A/N: There you go, a nice little Zutara drabble for ya. Sorry if it's a little confusing, but if it is, just tell me so! Well, R+R, and remember, I'll be posting more drabbles here soon.

Thanks!

Su-Su


	2. Chapter 2

_Zutara Drabble # 2_

_All standard disclaimers apply._

She waded through the mud that was her life, doing the bare minimum in everything. (_mud, that was her life now, always mud)_

She missed it. (_his smell, his touch)_

Everywhere she went, everything she did, it reminded her of him.

Then, praise the spirits! (_dear spirits, granting her wish at last)_

She saw him. (_not him, never him, but part of him!)_

He stared through her, taking away the veil, the paint and cloak with his mere gaze. (_oh that gaze, burning so brightly)_

She stared back, her cool eyes boring through his mask with the force of a tsunami. (_that mask, always the mask)_

He could never hide. (_from her, not from her)_

She would always find him, behind any and every mask that he hid under. (_he was hers, as she was his)_

He kept his mask on, keeping the wall of silence erect in front of them, separating them, together... and yet apart. (_always apart, never together)_

She wanted him to stay, stay forever. (_she could curl up inside of him, touch him, taste him once again)_

She watched, silently, judging him with her very presence. (_because he needed to be judged, judged and critiqued_)

It was sad, really. Sad that they would sit there, staring, taking, taking all the love that poured out from their bared souls. _(without a word, no, not even a single word)_

It hurt her, to see him in pain, see him crying. _(on the inside, no, never on the outside)_

It hurt to know that no matter what he was feeling, he would always keep it bottled up, bottled up. _(from her, never sharing, never talking)_

It was a pain half physical, and half mental, to know that he would never share. It hurt because of the knowledge (_hidden, always hidden) _that he would never show his true self to her.

"Will there always be a mask between us?" she said, her voice as soft as the wind.

She felt his pain, felt it through the barrier of the mask.

"Will you always hide beneath your veil?" he countered.

She cursed silently, closing her eyes. (_against the pain, the pain of him)_

A painful realization hit her, and it hit her hard. He wasn't ready for a relationship, ready for love. And he never would be till he got over his pain.

"You'll never be able to live in the present, Zuko," she said softly, her eyes shining in the light of the moon, "Till you get over your past."

She turned and walked away, leaving a broken and scarred man in her wake. (_always broken, never healed)_

His was one wound that she would never heal.

* * *

A/N: Well, there you go. Sorry if it was a little short, but I'm typing it during school hours... Heh.

Su-Su


	3. Chapter 3

_Zutara Drabble #3 _

_All standard disclaimers apply._

Before her, he had walked through the paths of his life with sure footsteps, knowing exactly where to put each foot before he did so. Then, when he met her, he stumbled, tripping over his own feet.

Before he met her, he had been free to ignore everything –because ignorance is bliss—and know that he was doing the right thing. Of course, when they talked, the walls of his perception were battered down by the sheer force of her conviction.

When she hadn't been in his life, Zuko had been content, mostly because he thought that he was 'regaining his honor'. Well, she had proved him wrong, every single step of the way.

Now, he regretted ever meeting her, for when he was living in a world without her luminous eyes to light his way, he was stuck in the darkness with only himself to blame. If he hadn't met her, things would have gone so much easier.

If he hadn't met her, he could have gone on stealing from innocent people, dating innocent girls like he used to. He could be free to waste his life away with another woman, whom he could have _liked_, if not loved.

Now that he had met her, he couldn't imagine any life without her. Everything that he did, he questioned, knowing that he wasn't doing the right thing. Before, he could have been content with Mai, now, any time they were together, he was truly bored…

With _her_, things were so damn intoxicating, like her breath, her scent, her very figure. Where Mai was angular, hard, and hard to get close to –they were too much alike, him and her—she was warm, soft, round and generous. She had the _patience _for him, while Mai would get bored with his speculations.

When Zuko was near _her, _everything he saw was different, somehow. The colors of the world were brighter; he was less angry, more _alive…_

All in all, Zuko liked the person he was with _her _much more than he liked the person he became with Mai. With _her, _he was free to be himself as he truly was, while with Mai, he had to put up a façade of happiness.

Still, as Zuko stared at _her _necklace, nestled in his hand, he wished, deeply, truly, that he had never met Katara.

* * *

_Zutara Drabble #4: _

He hated her.

It was that simple, really. He hated her, she hated him. It was a relationship of hate, reciprocated perfectly in every way.

Now, after those few months, he hated her again.

It didn't matter that they had shared those moments, kissing, hugging, _sharing._

It didn't matter anymore, because she was _gone._

Gone. Just like that, up and out of his life without a trace. He supposed that she went off with the Avatar again and that they were busy kissing in the clouds.

Good. He hoped that they would have happy little cloud babies up there. Good riddance to her. It wasn't like he had _cared_ about her; not like he had maybe _loved _her.

And no, he absolutely did not understand. He couldn't. If it had been him, he totally would have chosen her over a chance to go do what was right. It was true, he would, he _would._

He blamed her, blamed her for taking over his heart and mind, twisting them around in weird shapes to her own advantage.

He knew there couldn't have been a future for them. She'd probably rather have ugly, annoying cloud babies with the bald headed monk than cute, adorable, lovable steam babies with him.

He didn't get her at all.

No, that was a lie. He got her, he got her decision, understood _every single thing she did._ He understood the reason why, he got it.

It wasn't that he missed her. (though he did)

It was that sometimes, hating was so much easier than understanding.

* * *

A/N: Originally, I was going to put these two in separate chapters, but when the first one was so short, I had to combine them both. I'm so tired….. . Eh, I guess these were okay….. Tell me what you think, anyways!

Su-Su


	4. Chapter 4

**Zutara Drabble #5**

_All standard disclaimers apply..._

He's lost without her. Taken away by the tidal wave of hurt feelings, only to fall into a whirlpool of guilt and pain.

He misses her; that much is true. Everyday, he sits by the window, watching the sun rise and thinking of her. _She never was one to love the sun…_

His uncle tells him that he should think of the good things, that he should remember the happiness that he had with her. Zuko digresses, naturally. He doesn't want to remember her, not at all. He is desolate without her, lying in his bed, making patterns out of cracks on the walls.

He knows that his uncle is worried. Mai even comes by, but it's only to tell him to grow up and forget the stupid peasant. She will never have what it takes to love him, and Zuko knows this, and he knows it well.

Now, instead of rising with the sun like he used to, he attempts to rise with the moon, just to know that she could be awake, wherever she is. Sometimes he misses her so much that he can almost feel her, almost hear the whisper of her hair moving.

But she's not here. And she left him, left him here to rot, and all because of a _misunderstanding_.

He wishes that he could explain, although he knows it would be hard for him, hard on his pride. He would not say he was sorry, or any such demeaning things (though he _was_ sorry), but he would say… something.

What if she had stayed with him? Would she be here with him today, would she be his _Fire Lady?_

Zuko closes his eyes against the flawed world, his scar a red slash against a white canvas.

* * *

She wonders why she left him. She wonders, truly, why she _had _to leave, why she just couldn't stay and be his wife. Katara looks around her, staring up at the moon that her firebender had seemed to detest so much. 

A niggling voice asks her if he detested _her, _and if that was why she left. She dismisses it, still staring with almost innocent eyes up at the moon that is her savior, her friend.

She cannot remember if he somehow knew, if he saw when she tried to give him those subtle messages that she was _unhappy_. She doesn't remember because she doesn't want to, doesn't want to think about her lost lover.

A question coalesces in her mind, making her stop and think for a second, making her take a moment to steady herself on the ice of her homeland.

_When did Zuko stop being my enemy, and start being my friend?_

She wraps her arms around herself, trying to hold herself together, trying to keep the broken shards of _his words_ from embedding themselves in her already shattered heart.

Her eyes close, unwillingly, and for a moment, she is simply a waterbender, simply a girl. Better to be a girl then a betrayer, better to be free than to be bound by the ropes of _his _ever-present love.

* * *

He sits there alone, alone on the terrace that they had once shared. His eyes follow the tiny traces that proved she had once been there, the brush on the table, a hair tie that she carelessly left there. Though she's been gone for what seems forever, he keeps the terrace off limits, so no servants are allowed inside. 

Dust collects on the table, but he leaves it, just so he can see the tiny imprint of her fragile hand upon the mahogany wood.

He stares at the table, walking over to fit his hand over the small handprint of hers. They don't fit, of course, but he knows that they won't. They were different people, from very different places.

Zuko stares at the handprint for a bit, reminiscing about a time when he was free to love Katara, free to be himself and simply _be._

Finally, his head falls, cushioned by his hands. The rain begins to fall, but Zuko doesn't care. He is too wrapped up in the sheltered haze of his grief.

_Because life isn't always rainbows and butterflies..._

_

* * *

_

The rain falls on the ice, splattering softly onto the fallen waterbender. She cries, and her body is wracked by the giant sobs that come from deep inside her chest. She cries for the tainted love that she lives in, for the tradition and honor that keeps them apart, but mostly, she cries for Zuko.

Her heart hurts, and she tries to bury her face in her knees, trying and failing to keep herself intact. Trying to keep the shards of his broken vows from piercing her like the sharpest daggers.

She looks up, her blue eyes clear and heart-breakingly innocent. Somewhere in her heart, Katara wishes that she and Zuko could be together, to laugh together once more.

Somehow, crying in the rain, that happiness seems an unnatainable nirvana.

She grinds her face into her knees, failing to keep the images of a happy past from entering her miserable and bleak future.

She cries, lost in a sea of loneliness and unfulfilled needs. Her sobs are muffled by the fabric of her blue robe, but still, somehow, somewhere...

She wishes that Zuko would hear her.

* * *

Zuko wanders through the unfamiliar lands of the Earth Kingdom, not taking anything in. Of course, he sees the scenery, and on some level he appreciates it, but he has sunk too far into his depression to truly see it. His eyes are glazed, and he seems almost... lifeless. He hears a bell toll in the distance, and as it peals, he remembers Katara... 

_She always laughs when she's with him, always smiles. When he grabs her from behind, she giggles, which only serves to augment his happiness..._

_He smiles at her, a rare occurence as he buries his flawed face in her soft neck. He hears her gasp in protest, but he continues, inciting spontaneous moans from his lover. This time, he's the one smiling..._

_They walk through the gardens, hand in hand, water and fire. As they sit down together, they share a glance, a glance that crosses the boundaries of tradition, and the duties of their seperate nations. It is a glance that surpasses even themselves._

_They lie there, Katara's head on Zuko's shoulder as they watch the sunlight dance upon the water of the pond. They smile as the soft light hits the pond just right, creating a beautiful shimmer of light. Their hands find each other's and clasp, each clinging to the other._

_As they watch the sun and the water, they are content knowing that their relationship is intact, if not for a lifetime, then just for that moment._

Zuko pauses. He turns, thinking that he hears something familiar, something that evokes a hopeful chord in the music that is his soul. He turns, his eyes searching, searching, for what he isn't sure.

Then, he finds her.

A shocked expression dances across his face, making his scarred eye open so far that it almost hurts. The pain is forgotten, however, for _she_ is finally there. Thinking that this must be some cruel joke, he walks to her, slowly, ever so slowly. When he is a mere six inches away, he reaches out a shaking hand to touch her, touch the mirage that is his Katara, after all those years.

She smiles, tears in her eyes, as she holds out her arms to him, loving as ever. Zuko, to his shame, feels his heart leap and constrict, but he ignores it, and crosses the inches that separate them to envelop her in a warm hug.

It is a hug that breaches the years, surpasses the tears and lonely nights. Zuko buries his face in the soft waves of her brown locks, taking a deep breath of the sweet scent that is, without a doubt, Katara. She buries her head in the crook of his neck, her tears warm against his skin.

They stand there, silent, for no words are needed in a bond such as theirs. Their bond crosses any tradition, any barrier, anything.

They can handle it all. And now, they know it.

* * *

A/N: This is a drabble that I wrote because one of my lovely reviewers wanted me to write one where they met again. XD Well, I hope this one's good enough, 'cause it's LONG. ish. For a drabble, I guess... o-O 

Well, R+R, as usual.

EDITED. Sorry, I caught the crappiest typos EVER. Ugh, horrible redundancy. Thanks to avatar fan on LJ for telling me...

Su-Su


	5. Chapter 5

_Zutara Drabble #7 (correct me if I'm wrong...)_

"I'm leaving," she says softly. Her posture speaks of defiance, but her eyes exude a sadness that shadows her entire being. 

"Yes," says Zuko quietly, "I know."

She glances up at him, taking in his stiff demeanor, the hint of a scowl in his lips. She knows that she must leave, she knows it well. Something holds her back. Something she doesn't want to name. When she goes back to visit Aang, a part of her knows that she won't come back. Maybe to visit, but it won't be the same.

No more late night walks, no more shopping trips (no matter how much he hated them), no more joking (though it was painful) about his wife-to-be. Katara squared her shoulders, looking away from the Fire Lord. He has his duty, as she has hers. His is to marry Mai, as hers is to go find a suitable match for herself.

"My boat is here," she says softly. "I do believe I must go." She doesn't say goodbye, not just yet. The waterbender looks up, hope shining in her clear eyes. Why won't he order her to stay? Why won't he tell her that he loves her? She knows that it is true, as does he.

Zuko closes his eyes, breathing deeply to calm himself. "Yes, you must go." His voice is harsh, scratched with the sharp blades of their past. Did those kisses mean nothing to her? Did their whispered promises have no effect whatsoever on this stoic young woman?

A pang in his heart made him turn, just in time to see the glistening tears that welled in her eyes. His heart screamed at him to go after her, run to her, kiss her breathless. But he was wrapped in the cold confinements of his self-made prison; held by the iron confines of his duty.

"Katara," he says, hoping that she'll hear. She doesn't turn, even as she boards the ship that will take her away.

"Goodbye…" he says, locking his gaze on her retreating figure. He doesn't hear the answering call back, but the heaving of her shoulders is enough to tell him that she, too, is lost in a sea of her own doubts.

He stares at the ship as it leaves, knowing that wherever it takes her, however far away she must go… it will never wrench his love away.

Never.

* * *

A/N: This may have a continuation... actually, yes, it probably will. Well, tell me your thoughts!


	6. Chapter 6

_Zutara Drabble #7 (the actual #7... o-o)_

**I never, said I'd lie and wait forever  
If I did we'd be together now  
I can't always just forget her  
But she could try **

"Why weren't you there?" She's confused, ever so confused.

"I couldn't wait for you anymore." Zuko looks away, ignoring the thought that if he had waited, they would be happy again.

**At the end of the world  
Or the last thing I see  
You are  
Never coming home  
Never coming home  
Could I?  
Should I?  
And all the things that you never ever told me  
And all the smiles that are ever ever...**

He looks up at the sun, knowing that it's far past the time she was supposed to meet him. "She's not coming," he mutters to himself.

It was all a lie.

And she's never coming back.

**Ever...  
Get the feeling that you're never  
All alone and I remember now  
At the top of my lungs in my arms she dies  
She dies **

He stares down at the limp bundle in his arms, shaking her slowly, then faster. "Wake up," he whispers, jostling her harder.

He sees a smile cross her face, but she doesn't move. "Katara, wake up!" His voice gets louder.

She's not waking up.

**At the end of the world  
Or the last thing I see  
You are  
Never coming home  
Never coming home  
Could I?  
Should I?  
And all the things that you never ever told me  
And all the smiles that are ever gonna haunt me **

His head is in his hands, and his shoulders shudder with his repressed emotions. 

Her smile dances in his mind, just as her promises run through his heart.

"Zuko?"

"I'm fine." But he's not.

**Never coming home  
Never coming home  
Could I?  
Should I?  
And all the wounds that are ever gonna scar me  
For all the ghosts that are never gonna catch me **

He reaches a hand to touch his scar, one of the two hands that have ever touched it.

Zuko feels the whisper of a ghostly wind creep across his face, caressing his cheek.

She's gone.

**If I fall...  
If I fall...  
Down  
Wooooooooaaaaaahhhhh **

He's sunk into the depths of his mind, finding refuge in his lost sanity. 

People come and people go, but his memories last forever.

Memories of blue eyes, a smile, a touch… his memories of her.

**At the end of the world  
Or the last thing I see  
You are  
Never coming home  
Never coming home  
Never coming home  
Never coming home **

He stands at the precipice of his life, looking down on his mistakes and achievements.

And yet, all he can think about is Katara; all he hears is her laughter, and all he sees is the remnant of her smile.

**And all the things that you never ever told me  
And all the smiles that are ever gonna haunt me  
Never coming home  
Never coming home  
Could I...  
Should I?  
And all the wounds that are ever gonna scar me  
For all the ghosts that are never gonna... **

"You mean you didn't know?"

Zuko shakes his head, wondering at what else she never told him.

But he knows that it doesn't matter, knows that it's too late to save her… or him.

Because this time, she can't catch him when he falls.

* * *

**A/N: **I know what you're thinking. NO, SU-SU-CHAN! BAD! I know, I'm a horrible person to write angsty, depression filled drabble-esque things where Katara dies. I'm sorry. I'll make a happy one next. PROMISE! Oops, sorry, the lyrics I used are not mine, they are from My Chemical Romance's "Ghost of You". What a depressing song and music video. 

Su-Su


	7. Chapter 7

**Instincts**

Zuko found himself in an odd position. He'd never been good with women. Mai had only thought he was "mysterious", and that he needed saving or something. As a preteen, he had never had any real friends, let alone female ones.

To put it bluntly, when Zuko was confronted with someone of the opposite sex, he came out looking like the village idiot.

As a prince, this hadn't mattered, but now, he knew that he had to deal with the problem at hand. That problem happened to be the waterbender... or, as the Avatar had called her, Katara.

Zuko put his head in his hands. He had been trying to find a solution to his problem for days now, but nothing came to mind. He groaned, and flopped back on his bed. It was almost lunch, and he had nothing.

"Hey, Zuko," Sokka said as he walked into his room, "Lunch will be ready in a sec..." Sokka trailed off, seeing that the firebender wasn't paying attention to him. "Hey," he said, waving a hand in front of Zuko's face, "C'mon, jerkbender, wakey-wakey!"

Zuko's only response was a groan. What could he do to mend the obvious hurt that Katara was feeling? It was pretty clear that whatever he was doing now was not working. Suddenly, an idea hit him. "Er, Sokka?" he said.

"What is it, jerkbender?" Sokka said, reluctantly listening. Zuko rolled his eyes at the term, but mentally told himself that he would have to tolerate the guy if he wanted his help.

"Listen, um... you know Katara?" said Zuko awkwardly. 

"Uh, yeah, she's kind of my sister... Why?" said Sokka, his interest piqued. Why would the former prince ask about his sister?

"Well, you may have realized that she's... er... she's, um---"

"Ready to bite your head off at any opportunity?" finished Sokka dryly. Oh, he was _definitely_ interested now.

"Er, yes, that. Well... um, do you have any suggestions on how to---"

"Stop her from being that way? Yes, I do!" Sokka didn't add that they had never worked for him. Of course, Katara had never been that downright cold to him... Oh well, Zuko didn't need to know that.

Zuko smiled. Maybe he could finally make things right with Katara.

* * *

Zuko paused at the entrance of the little room they had walled off as the kitchen. He had to remember _exactly_ what Sokka had told him...

_"Okay, my little apprentice, this is how you deal with an angry Katara." said Sokka, nodding gravely._

_Zuko listened attentively, waiting for Sokka to give him the Rosetta Stone for the Language of Angry Girls._

_"Trust your instincts." said Sokka, opening his arms wide and closing his eyes. "That is all you need to know."_

_Zuko stared at Sokka. "You're kidding... right?"_

_Sokka shook his head, the fake beard he had put on swaying with his motions. "No, I speak the truth. With Katara, she'll respect you if you say what you feel. Do what you feel is right, my young Pada--, I mean, my young apprentice. Now, go! She awaits!" Sokka gestured at the doorway, stroking his beard. It would be fun to watch what would happen to Zuko._

Zuko nodded to himself, silently mouthing to himself Sokka's words of wisdom. "Er, Katara?" he said. Thank Agni he had caught her alone... She must have been finishing making lunch for them all. "Oh, just a second, I'll be done with lu--" She cut herself off when she turned around and saw who it was.

"Oh. It's you." The words were completely devoid of emotion, and it was so frightening that Zuko actually backed up a step. He had faced down Zhao, his father; what was it about this girl that made him so damn awkward?

"Um..." Sokka had said to trust his instincts. So, he would say what he wanted to say.

"Why are you being so mean!" shouted Zuko, his eyes blazing. His instincts had told him to tell her what he really felt. "The Avatar's forgiven me, and I chased him halfway around the world! I thought you were supposed to be _nice!_ What happened to that girl in the caves who offered to heal my scar, huh? Why can't you be like that again? I _liked _that girl! That girl was nice!" Zuko paused, taking a breath.

He glanced at Katara, who's face was slowly growing redder and redder. He blanched, but remembered Sokka's words. _I guess I'll keep going..._

"Look," he said, closing his eyes and preparing himself for the words he had to say. "I guess I'm trying to say that... I'm... sorry." Zuko paused, squirming at the fact that he had just apologized. "I know you're hurt... and I deserve to be shunned. But I've really changed, and though I don't expect you to believe me, if you could just be a little nicer---"

"What is _wrong _with you?!" hissed Katara, practically steaming. Zuko backed up a bit as she came towards him and grabbed his wrists. "You expect me to be _nice_ when you betrayed us?? I'm not _hurt, _Zuko. 'Hurt' is a paltry word to describe what I feel."

Zuko could feel the ice creeping around his wrists, and though he could've firebended, he decided not to, in fear of her wrath. "I will _forgive_ you when you've proven yourself to be a decent human being!"

Zuko backed away from her, his wrists encased in manacles of ice. "Uh..." he stammered, then gave up and rushed off to his room once more.

"Stupid waterbender," he muttered to himself as he melted the ice around his wrists. He was examining the red marks when Sokka came in.

"Oh, Zuko." said Sokka, still shaking a bit from the aftershock of his raucous laughter. Watching Zuko had been like listening to the stand up comedian in the South Pole. "I think she might like you."

With that, Sokka walked off, laughing at the memory of Zuko and Katara. The last time Katara had been betrayed by a guy, she'd frozen him to a tree. Maybe she did approve of Zuko, if only a bit.

Zuko groaned once more, and stared at his wrists. Well, at least he'd learned one thing from this mess.

Never trust Sokka, or his instincts.

* * *

A/N: If you read any of my other stories, I'm sorry for not updating. If you don't, hope you like this one-shot. I know it's probably supposed to be a drabble, but... oh well. Comments are love, of course. 


	8. Chapter 8

_Zutara One-shot Number: I don't know. _Enjoy.

Zuko was no chef, but he was pretty sure that the stuff in his bowl was not food.

He swirled the so-called stew around in his bowl, poking at the congealed lump with his chopsticks. A similar expression had flitted across the waterbender's brother's face, but the smart man had already downed it when Katara --yes, that was her name-- had glared at him. The Avatar --Aang-- had also eaten his quickly, but Zuko had seen the look on his face afterwards. This was not one of the girl's best meals.

He stared at the mass in his bowl, wrinkling his brow in distaste. Zuko had been forced to eat bad food in his many travels, but this was just torture. Thank Agni that he hadn't been the only one to face it... she wasn't just picking on him, this time.

"Why aren't you eating?"

Zuko blanched at the angry tone, and he glanced up quickly. The waterbender was staring down at him fiercely, and the whole camp had gone quiet. Out of the corner of his eye, Zuko saw Toph taking the time to throw her stew into the bushes behind her, and give him a smirk. He frowned angrily, but his current situation kept him from running over and throttling the blind girl, all the while chanting 'It's not fair!'

But he wasn't a child, and he would face the angry girl... and her stew. "I'm not eating because this... stew looks like it was made by ostrich-horses!" he blurted out. The whole camp gasped in unison, glancing from Katara to him, and back again. Haru, Teo, and the small kid with the helmet fell into a heated conversation in whispers. Zuko was able to catch snatches of it:

"No, Katara could _totally _kick his ass..."

"... you kidding? Look at the size of him! He could totally take her out!"

"You're forgetting it's Katara."

The conversation stopped for a second after that comment, and then started right back up.

"Yeah, Zuko's going down."

"Poor man."

"He never teased me about my chair... Then again, he never talked to me, so..."

Zuko turned back to Katara, who was reddening. "Listen, _pretty boy_, if you think you can just waltz in and insult my stew, you're dead wrong. My stew was _good_, and everyone here knows it but you!"

Katara turned back to the rest of the camp, who had turned away at the mention of the "good stew". They were now _deeply_ engaged in conversation, or in the washing of dishes.

Katara growled, and turned back to the startled firebender. "Well, next time, _you_ can cook!" she yelled, and then stomped out of a room, the tea freezing in everyone's cups as she left.

Zuko stared at his tea cup, and quickly heated it back up. The camp was staring at him again, and he looked up, his eyes fierce. "Don't tell me you guys _liked_ it." he scoffed.

"Well, no, but... we don't _tell_ her..." said Aang awkwardly.

Zuko rolled his eyes, and turned back to his tea. She was a strange one, that Katara. _She insults me, she threatens to kill me, she gets all "mega bitch" on me, and now she calls me pretty boy._

It was most definitely a strange little circle, and no matter how he tried, Zuko couldn't stop focusing on one thing: She had called him "pretty".

_Oh Agni, please don't let this be love._

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A/N: Posted this on LJ first, and here second. Hope you all enjoy! XP

Su-Su


	9. Chapter 9

_Zutara Oneshot... ish... ish... OO Well then._

All disclaimers apply.

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Zuko looked down at his chest, slowly running rough fingers over the bumpy scar, as he'd done often in the past six months. It'd been rough, those months, what with all the political stuff that had to be corrected. Offended dignitaries had to have their pain assuaged, while nobles wanted their share of money.

He sighed, and examined the starburst pattern of the marking on his chest. It was amazing, really, that he'd only been left with that small reminder of that intense scene. He remembered it well, of course. It wasn't like he saved another's life every day.

He barely glanced up when the door opened. Guards were posted outside, so it could only be one of a small group of people. When someone climbed into bed beside him, it narrowed the choices down even further. He felt cold hands slide around his midsection, interrupting his examination, and making the person's identity a dead giveaway.

"Mai," he said evenly. The first time they had been with each other, he'd flinched away from her near-freezing hands. He'd been expecting warmer ones, like the hands that had healed him; had hugged him.

She said nothing, and just lied next to him, hugging him close. However, in that brief moment of silence, he couldn't help wishing she was a little warmer, that her hands were a little browner, and that her eyes were a little bluer.

Zuko closed his eyes, and put a hand on the chest scar again. Two scars; both healed in different, but similar ways. Both healed by the woman with caring eyes, warm hands, and a soft smile. Healed by the waterbender… healed by Katara.

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A/N: Well. R+R, please, sorry I'm SO inactive. My comp got a virus, and died. If you read MS, then you should know a new chap. should be on it's way. Thanks!

Su-Su


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